Like lichen? Name of species up for grabs in fundraiser

A British Columbia botanist is putting the naming rights for two newly discovered species of lichens on the auction block to raise funds for conservation.

CTV / The Canadian Press, July 22, 2011

Click for larger imageNaming rights for this new species of Bryoria or “Horsehair Lichen”, which forms elegant black tresses on the branches of trees in old-growth forests, will be auctioned off to help raise funds for the Ancient Forest Alliance.Photo by Jason Hollinger

VANCOUVER— A British Columbia botanist is putting the naming rights for two newly discovered species of lichens on the auction block to raise funds for conservation.

The lichens were discovered by botanical researcher Trevor Goward.

Normally, the person who makes the discovery gets the right to name a newly discovered species but Goward decided to auction off that right to raise funds for the Ancient Forest Alliance and The Land Conservancy of British Columbia.

The lichens have already drawn bids of more than $12,000 and bidding will remain open until Oct. 2 on the Forest Alliance and Land Conservancy websites. College Nursing Grants

An online auction to name a new species of monkey in Bolivia in 2005 raised $650,000 for the protection of the monkey's habitat.

Goward says there are new species discovered every day, and he challenged other scientists like himself to offer up the naming rights to these species to raise funds for conservation.